


16. "I could feel it flowing through my veins"

by T_Hurricane



Series: Voltron: Stories of Klance (Fan Fiction Library: Challenge #1) [16]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Blade of Marmora Keith (Voltron), Blood, Blood and Injury, Blood and Torture, Blood and Violence, Dreams vs. Reality, Drugs, Eventual Keith/Lance (Voltron), Eventual Romance, Fan Fiction Library - Challenge, Fear, Fear of Death, Gay Keith (Voltron), Gen, Happy Ending, Healing, Hurt Lance (Voltron), Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Torture, Injury, Keith/Lance (Voltron) Angst, Keith/Lance (Voltron)-centric, Lance (Voltron) Angst, Lance (Voltron) Whump, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Major Character Injury, Missions Gone Wrong, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Rescue, Rescue Missions, Science Experiments, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-26 12:55:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30106284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/T_Hurricane/pseuds/T_Hurricane
Summary: Keith immediately reacts when he sees the distress signal pop up on his scanners.He manages to rescue Lance, but the Red Paladin can't tell: It all of this real? Or just another illusion?
Relationships: Keith & Lance (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Series: Voltron: Stories of Klance (Fan Fiction Library: Challenge #1) [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2175054
Comments: 5
Kudos: 48
Collections: Fan Fiction Library (Discord) Challenge #1: 20 Prompts





	16. "I could feel it flowing through my veins"

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!
> 
> For the 16th prompt of the writing challenge hosted on my Discord server, the [Fan Fiction Library](https://discord.gg/RuSjgxC68t): 
> 
> "I could feel it flowing through my veins"

Keith was breathing hard when the last thud of a falling body sounded through the cell. 

The druid’s now lifeless body was laying on the floor by his feet and blood slowly oozing out where Keith had delivered the deadly blow. 

He couldn’t pay any mind to it now though and rushed to the chained figure in the corner of the room. 

Five soldiers and two druids had stood in his path until he got to him.

He didn’t even know how he managed to defeat them alone, and he faintly registered that he didn’t remain unharmed during the fight, but adrenaline and utter fear had driven him forward from the moment he received the distress beacon. 

He had just finished one of his Blade missions when the beacon turned up on his display - a tiny red dot on a small Galran cruiser not far from his location. 

He hadn’t even had the time to even contact the others in his rush to get to Lance. 

Now, he finally stood before the Red Paladin, but he just couldn’t be relieved yet.

Not when Lance was unconscious, his hands chained above his head and his arms and torso littered with nasty bruises. 

Lance had been stripped from the upper part of his armor and undersuit, leaving his torso and arms bare. His forearms were covered in dark spots, as if needles had forced their way into the skin and flesh multiple times. 

„Lance, can you hear me?“ Keith asked, his voice raspy and full of fear. 

No answer came. 

Keith groaned in frustration, released the chains and caught Lance before he could fall to the ground. 

Suddenly, a vague presence hummed in the back of his mind, and he nearly dropped Lance in surprise. 

„Red?“ he asked, and the hum got stronger for a second. 

„I’m coming“ he whispered to his former Lion, positioning Lance in a fireman carry and got him out of the cell. 

He was struggling with the fact that Lance was taller than him, but this thought immediately vanished when he realized how disconcerting light and also cold Lance was. 

„What did they do to you?“ he whispered with a strained voice. 

It wasn’t long until he arrived in a hangar where he felt Red, making sure to hide in corners before patrols crossed his ways. 

He was glad that he apparently had triggered no alarms - he didn’t think that he could fight them off while he was carrying Lance. 

He opted to abandon his own shuttle. It was only a stolen Galra one anyway, he could just steal himself a new one. He finally reached the end of the corridor he was walking through and slammed his hand on the panel that opened the last door in his way. 

As soon as he stepped up to Red, she lowered her particle barrier so that Keith could enter. 

„Good girl. I’ve missed you“ he said as soon as he reached the cockpit. 

„Lance, hey, come on! We’re in Red, I’m gonna get you home“ Keith said to the still unconscious by in his hold. 

He then gently let Lance down, only to position him firmly in his lap as soon as he sat down on Red’s pilot seat. 

He felt lost for a moment - would she still let him fly her? - but a gentle purr in him mind told him not to worry. 

Neither of them had to fly her - she would bring them back as fast as she could. 

„Thanks Red“ Keith said while he cradled Lance in his lap. 

The now Red Paladin slowly began to shiver, so Keith pressed him as close to him as he could in an attempt to warm him up with his own body heat. 

They soon left the cruiser far behind them, and Keith could see that it would only take red around 20 minutes to reach the Castle. 

„God, Lance…“ Keith said again as another violent shiver whacked through the boys body. 

Keith only held him tighter, hoping that he wasn’t too late.

Seeing Lance this beaten up and just so unresponsive sent shudders through him, and he felt a sharp pain in his chest whenever he thought about what it could have been that had been done to Lance. 

Keith was ripped from his thoughts after around ten minutes when a screen suddenly plopped up. 

„Accept call“ he said and readied himself for the incoming transmission from the Castle of Lions. 

„Lance! Man, we were worried sick and searching for you! We were just about to ask the Blades and Rebels for help! Where the hell have you been? Your distress beacon was on suddenly, but now it’s gone and you’re in Red and… headed towards us?“ Hunk’s frantic voice could be heard. 

The video feed took longer to load, but the connection was building up. 

„Lance? Hey, are you there?“ Pidge now said, panic clearly evident in her voice. 

„Lance please, if you can give any response-“ Allura was now saying, but the stopped mid-sentence when the video finally was up. 

„Keith?“ Keith heard the questioning shouts from the others, huddled up in the Castle’s bridge and standing a bit too close to the camera. 

He just inhaled to give an answer when Hunk suddenly yelled out. 

„Lance! Oh my god, Keith - please tell me that he’s alive!“ he practically sobbed. 

„He is, but I’m worried. He didn’t wake up even once, and he is so cold. Red has her heating running, but it’s still concerning“ Keith said, effectively silencing whatever Hunk wanted to add. 

„I’ll prepare a pod immediately!“ Coran said and Keith could see him run out the door of the bridge. 

„Guys - what do I do? And just what the hell happened? Why was Lance all alone?“ Keith started to ramble, but he was soon interrupted by Shiro. 

„Keith, calm down. You need to bandage Lance’s wound first or else he will only get worse“ Shiro ordered him in a soothing, but firm tone. 

„What? Lance isn’t bleeding? I mean there are wounds on his arms, but they aren’t bleeding?“ Keith only stuttered, immediately concerned that he might have overlooked something and sealed Lance’s fate.

„Keith.. you are covered in blood“ Pidge stated, a subtle shake in her voice. 

„…What?“ Keith asked and looked down at himself. 

The others were right - it was hard to see in the current light conditions, but he was in fact smeared with blood. 

„Keith, were you hurt?“ Shiro now asked, and Keith looked up to him, his face an expression of shock. 

„I.. uh. I don’t know“ he said with a small voice. 

„Okay, find that out right now“ Shiro ordered, and after a few seconds, Keith nodded. 

He carefully moved his free hand over his face, then his neck, his chest, his back, his belly, his sides - and hissed when he brushed over a deep cut in his right side. 

„Okay, I have been stabbed or sliced or something, I really have no idea. It didn’t hurt until now“ Keith said while he tried to examine his side further. 

„Coran, please prep a second pod as well“ Allura just spoke into a portable comms unit. It buzzed a second later and Coran’s voice could be heard, giving a confirmation. 

„Okay, you’re only about seven minutes away from us . Hold on until then“ Hunk now said, looking up from a monitor. 

„Nghhh“ 

Everyone froze. 

„Lance?“ Keith asked hesitantly, fear in his voice. 

To his and everyone’s surprise, Lance slowly opened his eyes. 

It was hard to notice, but Keith watched him like a hawk and immediately noticed it, so he gently reached out to cup Lance’s cheek with one hand. 

„Lance, can you hear me?“ he asked. 

„K…Keith?“ Lance slowly said, blinking a few times and getting more awake with the second. 

„Yeah, it’s me. It’s Keith“ Keith said with relief in his voice and pressed Lance closer to him, careful to no do so too firmly and aggravate Lance’s wounds. 

„Not this again“ Lance just mumbled, which made Keith look up in surprise. 

„…This again?“ he asked, nut sure what Lance meant. 

„Don’t even try to convince me. You never succeeded with it, no matter how many times you tried. You’re not Keith. Not the real one, anyway“ Lance said silently, something cold yet longing in his voice. 

„Lance, what do you mean? It’s Keith, he got to you“ Hunk could no be heard trough the comms. 

„It’s not real, none of it. I can’t fall for it . I won’t fall for it. You won’t get any information from me, you’re just waisting your time“ Lance said with a defiant little chuckle. 

„But I have to admit that it’s really realistic this time“ he said and sorrow sounded in his voice. 

„Lance… what are you talking about? I got you out, we’re in Red and almost at the Castle“ Keith said, but Lance remained stubborn. 

„Like the last few times? You and I both know that I only see Keith because he’s the person I wish to see most. You explained that to me yourself after the first times, remember?“ he said and a tear rolled down his cheek. 

„Lance, I got you out, you.. you’re safe, and we’re on our way to the Castle“ Keith repeated and sobbed. He felt how tears were rolling down his cheeks now. 

„That would be great. I wish it were true“ Lance only sobbed, and he shuddered when he next spoke. 

„But you’re just in my head, all of this is just in my head. It’s just the ghost of whatever stuff I was injected with. You can’t be the real Keith. The real Keith is busy with important Blade missions, even though I wish for nothing more than to see him. I still have a few things to tell him before I’m done for“ Lance said with a watery chuckle. 

On the bridge of the Castle, Allura, Shiro, Hunk and Pidge could all feel their faces pale. 

Lance sounded like a ghost of himself. His voice was shallow, and he sounded like he had yielded to whatever he had been put through, but still was defiant and intent not to disclose any information to the enemy. 

It was just wrong. 

„Like what? What would you have to tell me“ Keith only asked, not sure how to act or what to do. 

He was shocked to hear Lance like this - ready for anything and having thought even about his death. Maybe even having accepted that death was a high probability. 

Lance thought that this wasn’t real, and from what he said, it must have not been the first time that he saw a situation where he was led to think that he’s being rescued. 

„I’d finally confess to him. That I love him. That I hated it when he left us - when he left me. That I miss him, and that I wish for nothing more that to spend the rest of my life with him“ Lance said with a sad chuckle while another set of tears rolled over his cheeks. 

Keith could do nothing else than stare at him in shock. 

Lance… loved him? All that he just said… did Lance really feel this way?

„But how could you understand. You’re just a hallucination after all“ Lance said and pressed his eyes close. 

„I’m curious who I will see next time. Will it be Keith again? Or my family maybe?“ he said and his voice gave out when he sobbed again. 

„Lance… this is real. I’m here, I got you out“ Keith tried to convince him. 

„Nice try. But I can easily tell you’re not real“ Lance said. 

„How can you be so sure?“ Keith asked, desperation growing in him. 

„You’d disappear when I do it. I’d just like to stay here a bit longer. Pretend that this is real and get a small break before they come at me again with another syringe“ Lance whispered. 

„It? Lance.. .wha-what would you do?“ Keith asked, begging for Lance to answer him. 

„You’d vanish or turn against me like the last few times. I don’t want that yet“ Lance whined. 

Keith noticed how he felt more dizzy and nauseous with every second. He shoved those feelings aside, blaming them on the blood loss, and continued to focus on Lance. 

„Lance, please.. What would cause that?“ he asked again. 

„I’d kiss you“ Lance said with a sad smile. 

„And then it would be over?“ 

„Yeah. That’s the only thing I can rely on in here. With my Mom it would be if I told her that her cooking was bad. Just.. things that I know will never happen in real“ he said with a watery chuckle. 

Keith felt like a dagger had been sunk into his heart.

„Lance. Th-This is real. You know why?“ Keith said and sat up a bit, wincing when the movement pulled at his wounded side. 

„Why?“ Lance said, but he sounded tired and annoyed. 

Annoyed as if he had heard the exact same questions many times already. 

„Because I love you, too. For real. In real“ Keith only said and then leaned forward to kiss Lance. 

The Red Paladin tried to shy away at first, but when he felt Keith’s lips on his, he melted into the kiss. 

Lance tried to enjoy every second of it, as pathetic as he felt with that, but he tried to get as much comfort as he could before he would open his eyes again to either be greeted by nothing or by pseudo-Keith’s hateful glare.

He felt how Keith pulled away, and Lance kept his eyes shut for a moment to ready himself. 

Then, he slowly opened them again. 

Keith was still there, but he had yet to look him in the eyes. 

„Lance… Please. Look at me“ Keith begged him. 

Something was strange - this had never happened before. 

„Please, Lance. Look at me“ Keith encouraged him again with a pleading and desperate tone. 

Lance hesitated, but then he slowly lifted his gaze to meet Keith’s. 

His face was swollen and red from crying, his Marmora uniform’s hood was pulled down and left his hair sticking out in every direction. 

There were tiny stains of blood on his chin, but he saw no wound in his face. 

„Into my eyes“ Keith encouraged him. 

Lance inhaled and prepared himself for the inevitable. 

Then, the boy looked into Keith’s eyes.

What met his wasn’t hate. It wasn’t disgust like it was every other time. 

When Lance looked into Keith’s eyes, he only saw hope and love, although it was accompanied by fear and worry. 

„Wh… what“ Lance whispered and almost choked on the words. 

„I got you out, Lance. This is real. I’m real“ Keith sobbed. 

A jolt went through them. Red had reached the Castle and landed. 

„This is real“ Keith only said again, and Lance’s gaze slowly widened. 

„Yeah“ Keith only chuckled in confirmation.

He could hear the others entering the cockpit now. 

„Lance! Keith!“ they exclaimed. 

Lance was befuddled.

Could this really be …real? 

It felt so real at least. 

Keith’s loving gaze. Hunk’s strong arms when he was lifted out of Keith’s lap. Pidge’s voice when she announced to go ahead to help Coran with the final preparation for the pods.

Allura’s and Shiro’s gasp when Keith collapsed to his knees when he tried to stand up. 

„Lance?“ Hunk asked him at some point, but he only registered it dimly and gave no response. 

Keith… was real. Keith had gotten him out and Keith had kissed him. 

He had been saved. 

Lance couldn’t believe it, his only thought when he felt how he was placed into a pod being about the sweet feeling when the real Keith kissed him.

###### 

„He had been on a solo mission to escort a rebel convoy when suddenly his signal was cut off. We… We thought that it was only a delay, but we went to investigate when after half a quintant he didn’t respond“ Coran explained to Keith. 

He had emerged from the pod half a varga ago. He had lost a lot of blood, but the pod only had to close the wound. With rest and enough fluids he would be perfectly fine. 

Shiro had caught him when he fell out and now, Keith was sitting in the med bay with the others, freshly showered, fed and cuddled up in a blanket Hunk had thrown over his shoulders. 

„We wormholed there and found the convoy completely destroyed. Lance was nowhere to be found, lost without a trace. We went after every lead, but it took us around another quintant before we were finally able to track his distress signal down. But just when we wanted to contact the Blades for help, you were on your way to us in Red“ Pidge continued. 

„Keith, how did you find him?“ Shiro asked. 

„I was on a mission in the same quadrant when I saw the signal. Some of it is foggy, but I basically rushed in there, killed two druids and a few soldiers and got Lance out“ Keith said with a small voice. 

The others just looked at him, completely stunned. 

„About uhm… what Lance said. About loving me and stuff“ Keith then hesitantly began. 

„I just wanted to tell you guys that I love Lance as well. I have no idea if this will all work out and I really hope that you wouldn’t have a problem with it if we were to date - I mean if Lance even wants that and-“ he started to ramble, his cheeks getting redder with every word, but he was interrupted from both Hunk’s and Allura’s hands on his shoulders. 

„You’d make a great pair“ Allura only said, and the others nodded. 

„Just date him. Spares me the panic attacks he got over you because he is just so helplessly in love with you“ Hunk said with a chuckle, managing to brighten the mood for a moment. 

„Thanks“ Keith said, feeling relieved at their instant acceptance. 

Lance’s pod suddenly signaled them that the healing process was completed with a a low and steady beat, interrupting whatever Shiro had just wanted to say. 

Keith was up on his feet faster than the others could react, and when they looked up, Lance was tilting forward and being caught by Keith. 

Lance groaned softly while Keith carried him into their blanket pile, placing his blanket from earlier around Lance. 

„What…?“ Lance groaned again and opened his eyes. 

„Hi“ Pidge greeted him with an exited grin. 

„How are you feeling, lad?“ Coran asked him. 

„Uhm… Good?“ Lance asked, confused by the question. 

The hallucinations had never acted this way. 

„What’s the point of this? I know damn well that this is not… real…“ he started to say, but then he came to a stuttering halt, not noticing how the other’s faces turned into expressions of fear.

He only jerked his head around to Keith and looked into his eyes. 

„This is real… right?“ he said, and he felt like a knot in his chest dissolved when Keith’s shocked and fearful expression relaxed into the same gaze he saw when they were in Red. 

„Th-This… it’s really real. I’m really here“ Lance sobbed, and Hunk immediately embraced him in a firm hug while Keith squeezed his hand. 

„Yeah. It’s real“ Shiro said with a sad voice. 

They gave Lance time to cry and be held by them until after some time, his sobs stilled and his tears stopped falling. 

„Are you able to tell us what happened to you?“ Allura asked hesitantly. 

Lance nodded, but he still took his time before he started to slowly answer her question. 

„They hit the convoy with some kind of energy explosion. They had to have cloaking because they only appeared on my scanners right before the blast hit me. Next thing I know I w-wake up with two… with two druids looming over me“ he said, having trouble speaking of what he remembered. 

„They came with those vials and syringes and told me about this hallucination drug that they wanted to perfect for Ha-Haggar because her …specimen still found a way to tell that it was fake“ he said, and the others paled. 

„ **I could feel it flowing through my veins**... like ghosts and whispers. Every time they gave me another dose it was seemingly improved or made with another recipe or some shit. I don’t know how many of them they tried out on me“ Lance concluded and a heavy silence settled over them while they processed the extend of the horrors Lance had been through. 

„God, I’m so sorry Lance. Are… Do you think you’re going to be okay?“ Shiro asked after a while, interrupting the silence only filled with sniffles by everyone. 

„I’m just glad that it’s over“ Lance said. 

„I.. I think I will be okay. In time“ he then added, and the others allowed themselves the smallest sighs of relief.

„Well, until then you need lots of rest. Keith, why don’t you bring Lance to his room?“ Coran suggested out of the blue, and everyone immediately agreed to this suggestion. 

Keith and Lance were surprised by the sudden unity of the others. 

Before they could even react, they had already been shoved out of the doors of the infirmary. 

„They planned that, didn’t they“ Lance only said, still looking at the closed doors.

„Uhm.. I think it’s not that bad. Gives us a chance to uhm… talk“ Keith said and turned around to face Keith. 

„Oh“ Lance only responded and felt how his blush grew big enough to battle the one Keith suddenly had in his face. 

„I meant everything. What I said. I.. I love you Keith. I know that you kissed me, but I was pretty bad back then and I totally get it if you don’t like me back and I’m sorry if _hmmmmpf_ “ Lance rambled, but he was interrupted by Keith’s lips crashing onto his own, cutting his words off. 

„Shut up. I love you too“ Keith said with a smile. 

„Oh“ Lance only said again, his confused face slowly relaxing into a genuine smile. 

„Let’s talk later“ he then suggested and leaned in to kiss Keith again. 

„Agreed“ Keith said and kissed him back.

Feeling the lips of the boy he loved, Lance knew that all of it was really real. 

And he never felt more relieved than in the gentle hold of the boy that had saved him.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading!!
> 
> As always, I would be **really grateful for a comment** \- they are the only real measurement an author can get about how you really find their work!
> 
> Stay tuned for the next prompt!


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